How to Modernise an Old Home
Like many homeowners, you may have purchased an old, worn property with the potential to increase its value and put a personal stamp on the interior and exterior.
Yet, once you receive the keys, you might be unsure about the best tactics to bring it into the 21st century.
It doesn’t matter if you’re renovating a 1930s or 1990s home, as you will likely need to make various changes to improve its structural integrity, appearance, or comfort. Keep reading to learn how to modernise an old home.
Improve Energy Efficiency
According to Greenpeace, UK homes waste more energy than any other European country, as they require more electricity, oil, and gas to heat. As many of the nation’s homes are decades old, they are poorly insulated, causing homeowners to regularly fire up their central heating.
Improving a property’s energy efficiency is one of the best ways to modernise a property, increase its value, lower energy consumption and bills, and transform its comfort. Many eco home improvement solutions, such as loft insulation, solar panels, and double glazing, could boost your property’s energy efficiency and lower your monthly bills.
Update Plumbing
An old home might ooze charm and character, but it might have one or more plumbing issues lurking behind its walls. You might think it isn’t a big issue as the worst has yet to happen, but you never know when a plumbing problem will strike and flood your new home.
Bring an older property into the 2020s by embarking on a replumbing project. For example, you could undertake a pipe replacement to remove outdated pipe materials, such as galvanised steel or lead pipes, which your property is likely to have if it is more than 30 years old. Also, a professional plumber could resolve bad piping repairs that a handyman or DIYer may have executed many decades ago.
Make Smarter Structural Changes
Many older properties and period homes feature poorly thought-out layouts that will affect a room’s flow, natural lighting, and comfort. Transform its look and feel by making smarter structural changes, such as knocking down one or more internal walls.
An open-plan design will increase your square footage, brighten up the space, and improve function. Also, you could expand your home by adding an extension, converting a loft or garage, or transforming redundant spaces, such as turning an alcove into a reading nook.
Add Extra Plug Sockets
Older properties didn’t depend as much on various technologies decades ago, which means they often feature minimal plug sockets. Unfortunately, few sockets can determine a room’s layout, as you might be limited to where you can place your TV in a living room, desktop computer in a home office, or phone charging point in your bedroom.
Bring an old home into the 21st century by hiring a qualified electrician to install additional plug sockets. It will provide more flexibility in the home, as you won’t need to choose between powering your TV, charging your phone, or switching on a vacuum.
You May Also Enjoy
Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter
Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025
The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit
Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker
Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms
